Connected: An Internet Encyclopedia
RFC 959 - 4.1.1. ACCESS CONTROL COMMANDS

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### 4.1.1. ACCESS CONTROL COMMANDS

The following commands specify access control identifiers (command codes are shown in parentheses).

USER NAME (USER)

The argument field is a Telnet string identifying the user. The user identification is that which is required by the server for access to its file system. This command will normally be the first command transmitted by the user after the control connections are made (some servers may require this). Additional identification information in the form of a password and/or an account command may also be required by some servers. Servers may allow a new USER command to be entered at any point in order to change the access control and/or accounting information. This has the effect of flushing any user, password, and account information already supplied and beginning the login sequence again. All transfer parameters are unchanged and any file transfer in progress is completed under the old access control parameters.

PASSWORD (PASS)

The argument field is a Telnet string specifying the user's password. This command must be immediately preceded by the user name command, and, for some sites, completes the user's identification for access control. Since password information is quite sensitive, it is desirable in general to "mask" it or suppress typeout. It appears that the server has no foolproof way to achieve this. It is therefore the responsibility of the user-FTP process to hide the sensitive password information.

ACCOUNT (ACCT)

The argument field is a Telnet string identifying the user's account. The command is not necessarily related to the USER command, as some sites may require an account for login and others only for specific access, such as storing files. In the latter case the command may arrive at any time.

There are reply codes to differentiate these cases for the automation: when account information is required for login, the response to a successful PASSword command is reply code 332. On the other hand, if account information is NOT required for login, the reply to a successful PASSword command is 230; and if the account information is needed for a command issued later in the dialogue, the server should return a 332 or 532 reply depending on whether it stores (pending receipt of the ACCounT command) or discards the command, respectively.

CHANGE WORKING DIRECTORY (CWD)

This command allows the user to work with a different directory or dataset for file storage or retrieval without altering his login or accounting information. Transfer parameters are similarly unchanged. The argument is a pathname specifying a directory or other system dependent file group designator.

CHANGE TO PARENT DIRECTORY (CDUP)

This command is a special case of CWD, and is included to simplify the implementation of programs for transferring directory trees between operating systems having different

syntaxes for naming the parent directory. The reply codes shall be identical to the reply codes of CWD. See Appendix II for further details.

STRUCTURE MOUNT (SMNT)

This command allows the user to mount a different file system data structure without altering his login or accounting information. Transfer parameters are similarly unchanged. The argument is a pathname specifying a directory or other system dependent file group designator.

REINITIALIZE (REIN)

This command terminates a USER, flushing all I/O and account information, except to allow any transfer in progress to be completed. All parameters are reset to the default settings and the control connection is left open. This is identical to the state in which a user finds himself immediately after the control connection is opened. A USER command may be expected to follow.

LOGOUT (QUIT)

This command terminates a USER and if file transfer is not in progress, the server closes the control connection. If file transfer is in progress, the connection will remain open for result response and the server will then close it. If the user-process is transferring files for several USERs but does not wish to close and then reopen connections for each, then the REIN command should be used instead of QUIT.

An unexpected close on the control connection will cause the server to take the effective action of an abort (ABOR) and a logout (QUIT).

Next: 4.1.2. TRANSFER PARAMETER COMMANDS

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RFC 959 - 4.1.1. ACCESS CONTROL COMMANDS